About Charter 17
Hi. I’m Mark W. Schumann, founder and publisher of the newsletter Charter 17 and this website. Let me tell you what’s up with this and why it matters.
I’m a little bit of an extrovert, and a tend to have strong opinions about how the world should function, and on occasion I can share those opinions (because of the extrovert thing) in a way that some others find sarcastic, amusing, or insightful. Therefore, when the air of freedom started smelling a little bit off? Like maybe a few weeks ago? Quite a few of my friends got all up in my texts and Facebook and real life asking the same thing over and over again: “What can I do now?”
Unfortunately, the answer is that I don’t really know. I’m just some smartass in Cleveland. I do stuff with computers. My kids think I’m crazy. That cute dog isn’t mine. I can’t even keep my kitchen clean, why does anyone think I know how to rescue democracy from authoritarianism? Do I look like Captain America or what?
But here’s what I can do. Right here. This. If I can do something, you can too.
Ready to fix things? Not sure where to start? You are not alone.
This is the time for good people like you and me to step up, stand out, and make a difference. All of us believe it’s important to stand together on a few consistent principles without regard for current events and regime changes. Many people have long been organizing around many specific issues like immigrant rights, anti-racism, reproductive rights, LGBTQ* concerns, education, militarism… the list goes on and on. These are all incredibly important and we should all pitch in to do what we can. And there’s even a directory right here to help you find where you fit in.
The thing is, you’re not going to be doing the heavy lifting all day, every day. Physical and emotional fatigue are real. Right here is where you can take a break, get in touch with your supports, maybe learn about some new tools, and prepare for the next rounds. It might even be fun.
Keep checking in on the Charter 17 blog. Every Monday, we’ll feature a specific action that gets you connected with others, builds community, and helps keep you motivated. We’re starting on February 6th with an easy way to do secure communications on your smart phone. In following weeks we’ll add more knowledge, more action, more connection. You can even check off your accomplishments as you go along and get your friends involved too.
Stay strong. Stick together. Tell the truth. Keep in solidarity.
There’s more though! All of the weekly actions are built around nine simple Charter Principles. If you agree with the Principles, and you want to receive more ongoing support in staying active, then sign on and we’ll include you in our regular newsletter mailings. As the signer list grows, we’ll connect you with more colleagues and comrades and let you know about events in your area.
Any questions?
This is new. We’re depending on a lot of feedback to learn what is giving our people the most energy and the greatest motivation to keep going. Thank you, and please be in touch at info@charter17.us!